Figure Flattering Dresses for Pear Shaped Bodies

Shakira was right, “Your hips don’t lie”. If you are a woman that is pear shaped, your hips are the widest part of your body. You have probably engaged in a decades long war with your buttocks and thighs and you would rather choose a stay in Guantanamo Bay over jean shopping any day (at least in there you get loose-fitting jumpsuits). Based on your “problem areas”, you may think dress shopping is difficult. Not true, there are many dresses for pear shaped bodies. In fact, shopping for dresses will help you to love your shape. Since you are wider on the bottom than you are on top, the goal is to make your body look proportional. You need to make your upper half look wider. Here are some basic guidelines for shopping for dresses for pear shaped bodies:

Unlike your thin-thighed counterparts, you can wear strapless dresses. A strapless dress will always make your shoulders look broader and thus balance out your childbearing hips. A strapless dress has the additional benefit of drawing the attention upward and people will not even notice your derriere.

An A-line dress with a defined waist will help accentuate your waist while the flared skirt will skim over your hips. There is a sweet spot in choosing a flared skirt. Too little flare and the dress will ride up on your hips drawing attention to your problem areas. Too much of a flare and the dress will add volume to the lower half of your body making you look even wider. Become the Goldilocks of dress shopping and choose a dress with just enough of a flare that it grazes your hips. Try on the dress in front of a full length mirror to determine if the dress is adding balance and proportion to your pear shaped frame.

Buy a dress that fits your hips, regardless of the fit on top. Because the lower half of your body is more difficult to fit, buy a dress that fits your hips and butt and then take it to a tailor to have the upper half fitted to you. Not only does this make an amazing fit, but it will make the garment look more expensive. The are two primary reasons that clothing looks expensive, the fabric and the fit. If you get the fit tailored to your frame, it will make it look like you paid a small fortune for the dress. Yes, taking it to a tailor costs a little bit more and takes up a little bit of your time, but the confidence you will feel in your dress will more than make up for it.

♥ AJ

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